Indeed, the steel is special and shows good watering. Here is a photo before I did an etch and polish. I will make some new photos and post them for you.
I too am sorry not to have a scabbard to match!
I'm wondering why both weapons have this slight defect in the hilt. My blade is firmly seated, with no play, however as you noted it looks bent. Could it be that the blades have moved in this way because they struck something hard? There is no evidence of damage to the edge.
